More people are dying or falling ill as a result of substance abuse and mental disorders than from HIV, tuberculosis and diabetes, according to a new worldwide study.

Researchers found that depressive disorders account for the largest proportion, leading to 40 per cent of the worldwide death and disease burden, with girls and women over the age of 14 making up the majority of victims.

Data from the 2010 Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD), the largest examination of public health ever undertaken, has shown mental illness and substance abuse on the whole were also to blame for most of the non-fatal illnesses worldwide, contributing to more than a fifth (22.8 per cent) of cases.

More people are dying or falling ill as a result of substance abuse and mental disorders than from HIV, tuberculosis and diabetes, according to a new worldwide study. Men had a much greater burden of drug and alcohol dependence across all ages

However, across the 187 countries that took part in the study, they also came fifth among the biggest causes of death.

The overall number of deaths for the conditions was 232,000 in 2010, which on paper looks low by comparison to the proportion of illness they caused.

The disparity was attributed to the way deaths are recorded around the world, as the physical cause of death is usually logged rather than any contributory drug habits or mental illnesses.

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For example, death by suicide brought on by a mental illness is usually recorded as death by injury and a drug overdose may be logged as a poisoning.

Depressive disorders lead to 40 per cent of the worldwide death and disease burden, with girls and women over the age of 14 making up the majority of victims

Most of the 232,000 deaths were a result of substance abuse, although the researchers said the number may be much higher, if their models are not completely accurate.

Men had a much greater burden of drug and alcohol dependence across all ages than women and girls, who suffered and died more from mental disorders.

The researchers found levels of death and disease from eating disorders were 40 times higher in Australasia, where it was highest, than sub-Saharan west Africa, where it was at its lowest.

Data from the GBD was analysed by American and Australian researchers looking for 20 key mental and substance abuse disorders.

Professor Harvey Whiteford said: 'Mental and substance use disorders are major contributors to the global burden of disease and their contribution is rising, especially in developing countries.

'Cost-effective interventions are available for most disorders but adequate financial and human resources are needed to deliver these interventions.'

Professsor Whiteford led the latest analysis of the GBD to reveal the global impact of mental and substance abuse disorders.

He said: 'Despite the personal and economic costs, treatment rates for people with mental and substance use disorders are low, and even in developed countries, treatment is typically provided many years after the disorder begins.

'In all countries, stigma about mental and substance use disorders constrain the use of available resources as do inefficiencies in the distribution of funding and interventions.

'If the burden of mental and substance use disorders is to be reduced, mental health policy and services research will need to identify more effective ways to provide sustainable mental health services, especially in resource constrained environments.'

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Substance abuse and mental disorders are now killing more people globally than HIV, diabetes and TB